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Rand's understanding of Kant

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'Saying "maybe I do blow hot air just to hear the sound of it" is just not cool, no matter how you twist up the sentence structure.'Noted, though I didn't say that.

Maybe I do reduce this style of utterance to an intriguing form at the expense of content.

Your noting is noted.

Edited by Harrison Danneskjold
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  • 2 weeks later...

Danny:

 

Why not post something positive about your working metaphysics and/or epistemology?..perhaps new substance for discussion would be more interesting and fruitful for all who are interested in the subject.  If you feel so inclined you could weave Kant or Rand into it.

 

Actually, I think that Rand and I have a great deal in common. The thing that brings me to this thread is that I'm turned off by her intolerance for disagreement, and by her lack of serious effort to engage with opposing points of view. I still think these criticisms of Rand are largely accurate. I'm tempted to add some kind of crack about one important point that I underrated -- that her followers are worse! Well, I can try to be an example. And, happily, I can agree with Rand when she saw herself as a pathbreaking original thinker who had discovered important philosophical and political truths that had previous been ignored or at least underemphasized. But, on the other hand, I said something about Rand being dogmatic and was informed that this is me being condescending. The thing is, I'm not sure we all agree that it would be a bad mistake, to hold Objectivist ideas in a dogmatic manner. 

 

Dan

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Actually, I think that Rand and I have a great deal in common. The thing that brings me to this thread is that I'm turned off by her intolerance for disagreement, and by her lack of serious effort to engage with opposing points of view. I still think these criticisms of Rand are largely accurate. I'm tempted to add some kind of crack about one important point that I underrated -- that her followers are worse! Well, I can try to be an example. And, happily, I can agree with Rand when she saw herself as a pathbreaking original thinker who had discovered important philosophical and political truths that had previous been ignored or at least underemphasized. But, on the other hand, I said something about Rand being dogmatic and was informed that this is me being condescending. The thing is, I'm not sure we all agree that it would be a bad mistake, to hold Objectivist ideas in a dogmatic manner. 

 

Dan

 

If you agree with her, you would know her philosophy holds dogmatism as invalid.  You would also know that her philosophy upholds certain axioms and corollaries as absolutes.  Absolutes not to be taken on faith or blindly believed but arrived at by reason.

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  • 2 weeks later...

An open question to everyone:

 

Has Kant contributed ANYTHING which addresses in a consequential manner any part Man's urgent and unavoidable need of knowledge for dealing with reality for his life on Earth? 

 

Assuming a man has learned from other Philosophers, scientists, artists, engineers, economists, ethicists,  what was Kant's important/consequential contribution, such that that man should, in addition to all his other learning/readings, purposefully seek it out and add it to his body of knowledge?  Please identify this with specificity and why it is relevant to the man's dealing with reality in his life on Earth. 

 

Anyone?

I wouldn't say Kant got anything right, so in that sense he didn't contribute anything of value. However, Kant's work has had a profound influence on every area of philosophy for centuries, so it is harder to understand the history of philosophy if you haven't studied Kant.

 

For example, Marx was heavily influenced by Hegel, who took the inspiration for a lot of his philosophy from Kant. None of these are good guys, to be sure, but they are part of the history of philosophy, and their ideas continue to influence our culture.

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